In just a few words :

This neighborhood takes its name from the Sorbonne, where Latin was the common tongue for all students during the Middle Ages. The neighborhood has the feel of a small village and students mix freely with professionals in its winding streets. The rue Mouffetard is a primary artery where shops, international restaurants and student bars and cafés are found.

Neighborhood description:

The banks of the Seine River, from the islands to the Latin Quarter, constitute the original historic centre of the city. Medieval buildings co-exist with crowds of lively young students and the welcome oases of public parks and gardens.

The 5th Arrondissement of Paris is one of the best known of the city's central districts, located on the Left Bank (Rive Gauche) of the river Seine. Also commonly known as the "Latin Quarter" (le quartier Latin) - so named because students from around the world at one time actually spoke Latin to one another here as their only common language - the 5th was also the core of ancient Gallo-Roman Paris, as revealed in a number of otherwise rare archaeological remains that can be seen within the district.

The area is generally associated with artists, intellectual and a bohemian way of life; this is mainly due to the thousands of students that live around. But the place also has a history of political unrest : in 1871, the Place Saint Michel became the center of the Paris Commune, and in May 1968, it was a site of student uprising.

The Quartier Latin (Latin Quarter) is the bastion of student life and higher education in Paris. Within a 100m radius around the Pantheon you'll find some of the most prestigious schools in the whole of France.

Adjacent to the Jardin du Luxembourg, the place contains many of the Paris monuments, museums and gardens, ranging from the brand-new Institut du Monde Arabe to the Middle Ages Musée de Cluny, or the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in the Jardin des Plantes.

Since this is one of the oldest parts of the city (some of the streets here date back to the eleventh century) there remain a large number of specialty stores and unusual little boutiques. One can find enough bookstores - both general and highly specialized - to please the most discerning bibliophile.

The Latin Quarter hosts absolutely terrific open-air food markets like the one at the Place Maubert. One of Paris' most picturesque streets - Rue Mouffetard - hosts also a lively open market with people from the neighborhood shopping for lunch and dinner. The market is there every day, Entrepreneurs shouting out their prices, hogs heads smile from the butcher's stand, the vegetable carts, the beggers, neighbors meeting for a coffee, or drink. Madi and Amid some of the friendly merchants (Cour des Halles - 142 , rue Mouffetard) welcome passers-by and customers with their legendary smile . Stop by their shop and mention Claude's name: France For Rent customers get a complimentary serving of their best produce!

The Jardin des plantes, Paris' botanical gardens and zoo, is at once a calm and exotic place, and the Arènes de Lutèce - remains of a Roman amphitheatre - remind us just how rich the history of Paris really is.

For a change of pace, go to the Mosque right nearby for a cup of tea. The Institut du Monde Arabe is also a must-see. Standing where the boulevard Saint-Germain and the Seine river meet, it combines contemporary architecture and traditional Arabic geometry.

Finally, the Latin Quarter also happens to be about as centrally located as you can be in Paris, and it's a relatively easy walk to the vast majority of tourist destinations from here.

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Museum opening times:

As a rule, museums are open from 9 or 10am until 5 or 6pm. Others open later and close at 8 or 9pm. Closing day is most usually Monday or Tuesday, with a few exceptions. Some are even open 7 days a week, such as some of the major monuments which can even be visited as late as 11pm or midnight.
Don't forget too that on public holidays many museums and monuments are closed. It's a good idea to check beforehand.

Restaurants:

In France all prices include service and taxes, with approximately 15% of the price corresponding to the service. However, if the waiter or waitress has been especially attentive, you can leave him or her a tip to show your appreciation. Around 5 to 10% of the bill is usual.

There are 3 specialist magazines that relay the full list of what's on in Paris in French. They are on sale every Wednesday in all newspaper kiosks and newsagents': Pariscope , L'Officiel des spectacles and Zurban . For English-speakers, try Time Out .